This very exciting news broke yesterday – this one via the Uncut website:

Led Zeppelin have confirmed that their new career-spanning documentary film, directed by American Epic’s Bernard MacMahon, is currently in post-production and poised for release later this year as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations.

It features brand new interviews of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late John Bonham – the first and only time the band have participated in a documentary in 50 years.

“The time was right for us to tell our own story for the first time in our own words, and I think that this film will really bring that story to life,” says John Paul Jones.

Commenting on their choice of director, Jimmy Page says: “When I saw everything Bernard had done both visually and sonically on the remarkable achievement that is American Epic, I knew he would be qualified to tell our story.”

Adds Robert Plant: “Seeing Will Shade, and so many other important early American musicians, brought to life on the big screen in American Epic inspired me to contribute to a very interesting and exciting story

Altitude has boarded as international sales agent an as-yet-untitled Led Zeppelin feature documentary, directed by Bernard MacMahon, best-known for “American Epic.” CAA will represent the U.S. rights. The film will be shopped at Cannes.

The release of the doc, now in post-production, will coincide with the band’s 50th anniversary. It traces the journeys of the four members through the music scene of the 1960s, their meeting in the summer of 1968, and culminates in 1970 when their second album knocks the Beatles off the top of the charts.

It includes new interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late John Bonham. It is the first time the band has participated in a documentary since it was formed.

The film features never-before-seen archive film and photographs, state-of-the-art audio transfers of the band’s music and the music of other artists who shaped their sound

This one via the Guardian – note they report that the film will chart their career up to 1970:

The first ever official documentary film about Led Zeppelin has been announced, to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary.

Announcing the project, bassist John Paul Jones said: “The time was right for us to tell our own story for the first time in our own words, and I think that this film will really bring that story to life.”

Currently in post-production, the as yet untitled film is directed by British film-maker Bernard MacMahon. He made his debut in 2017 with American Epic, a four-part documentary exploring roots music across the US, including folk, blues and Native American songwriting.

“When I saw everything Bernard had done visually and sonically on the remarkable achievement that is American Epic, I knew he would be qualified to tell our story,” Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page said in a statement, with frontman Robert Plant adding: “Seeing Will Shade, and so many other important early American musicians, brought to life on the big screen in American Epic inspired me to contribute to a very interesting and exciting story.”

Rather than attempt to tell the entire history of the group, MacMahon will focus on their development and rise to fame, as the three members each left session work and existing bands to come together in 1968, along with late drummer John Bonham. The film will chart their career until 1970, as the second album, released the previous year, with its hit track Whole Lotta Love, cements them as the dominant rock band of the era.

That means some of the most famous parts of their story – their biggest hit, Stairway to Heaven; the debauched rock’n’roll excess of their imperial phase; the death of Bonham in 1980, their immediate dissolution and one-off return in 2007 – will not be covered.

The film is based around new interviews with the three surviving band members, “no outside voices or conjecture”, and hitherto unseen archive footage and photographs. A release date has not yet been announced

Turn it up to 11. A new documentary on legendary rock band Led Zeppelin is heading to the Cannes market. Bernard MacMahon, the director of the Emmy-nominated music documentary series American Epic, is helming the as-yet-untitled doc, which will feature new interviews with band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late John Bonham.

Currently in post-production, the documentary is billed as the “definitive telling of the birth of the world’s biggest-selling rock band” and will be told solely from the band’s perspective, with never-before seen archive film footage and photographs and state-of-the-art audio transfers of the band’s music.

Both Page and Plant said watching American Epic, which traces the roots of American recorded music of the Roaring Twenties, convinced them to sign on to MacMahon’s film. “When I saw everything Bernard had done both visually and sonically on the remarkable achievement that is American Epic, I knew he would be qualified to tell our story,” Page said in a statement.

“The time was right for us to tell our own story for the first time in our own words,” added Jones. “I think that this film will really bring this story to life.” The team behind American Epic is on board for the Led Zeppelin doc, including writer and producer Allison McGourty, editor Dan Gitlin and sound supervisor Nicholas Bergh. McGourty, MacMahon, Duke Erikson and Ged Doherty are producing the film, with Peter Saraf and Marc Turtletaub as executive producers.

CAA is handling U.S. rights to the documentary, and Altitude is selling the film internationally.

There has always been scope to do an official documentary so this is very welcomed news – one can only speculate what unreleased footage and music may emerge – this is surely the 50th anniversary release we all hoped for… the prospect of which this is very exciting ahead…we await further announcements in the coming weeks. DL

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Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters US tour announced:

Robert Plant has officially announced a new US tour which will take place in September and October. He will tour with his band The Sensational Space Shifters and perform at festivals and headline dates across the US and Canada.

See all upcoming Robert Plant US and Canada dates below:

September 13 – Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, Fredericton, Canada

September 17 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

September 20 – Outlaw Music Festival, Indianapolis

September 21 – Bourbon & Beyond music festival, Louisville

September 23 – Clear Lake, Iowa

September 25 – Moorhead, Minnesota

September 27 – Missoula, Montana

September 29 – Spokane, Washington

October 1 – Salt Lake City, Utah

October 3 – Bend, Oregon

Info via LZ News

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Led Zeppelin News Update:

In conjunction with the Led Zep news site, each week I will be re- producing highlights from their weekly email update news summary. This goes out every Sunday. Sign up details are below. Many thanks to James Cook.

Robert Plant

Earlier today, Robert Plant announced a new tour of the US and Canada in September and October. The tour includes festival and headline dates. Read all of the details here.

John Paul Jones

Upcoming events:

May 29 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Somerset, UK.
June 13 – Robert Plant will perform in Stockholm, Sweden.
June 15 – Robert Plant will perform at Bergenfest in Norway.
June 17 – Robert Plant will perform at The Big Challenge festival in Norway.
June 19 – Robert Plant will perform in Harstad, Norway.
June 21 – Robert Plant will perform in Bodø, Norway.
June 23 – Robert Plant will perform at the Secret Solstice music festival in Iceland.
June 25 – Robert Plant will perform in Tromsø, Norway.
June 27 – Robert Plant will perform in Svalbard, Norway.
June 29 – Robert Plant will perform in Svalbard, Norway.
July 2 – Robert Plant will perform in Halden, Norway.
July 4 – Robert Plant will perform at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark.July 13 – Robert Plant will perform at the Rhythmtree music festival with Saving Grace on the Isle of Wight.
July 18 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace at the Galway International Arts Festival in Ireland.
July 25-28 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace at the WOMAD festival in the UK.
August 4 – Tight But Loose editor Dave Lewis will hold a fan meetup in London to mark the 40th anniversary of Led Zeppelin’s Knebworth performances.
September 13 – Robert Plant will perform at the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in Fredericton, Canada.
September 17 – Robert Plant will perform in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 20 – Robert Plant will perform at the Outlaw Music Festival in Indianapolis and the first day of the 2019 John Bonham memorial concert will be held in Redditch.
September 21 – Robert Plant will perform at the Bourbon & Beyond music festival in Louisville, Kentucky and the second day of the 2019 John Bonham memorial concert will be held in Redditch.
September 23 – Robert Plant will perform in Clear Lake, Iowa.
September 25 – Robert Plant will perform in Moorhead, Minnesota.
September 27 – Robert Plant will perform in Missoula, Montana.
September 29 – Robert Plant will perform in Spokane, Washington.
October 1 – Robert Plant will perform in Salt Lake City, Utah.October 3 – Robert Plant will perform in Bend, Oregon.
November – The “Play It Loud: Instruments Of Rock And Roll” exhibition will move to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Deb and the band have been going down a storm on their US tour. The band played at the Wonder Bar with Terry Reid in Asbury Park NJ on Wednesday May 1 . On Tuesday they were at the Café Nine in New Haven CT. Mike Tremaglio was there and loved the show -more on this to follow. Tonight May 9, they are at the Daryl House Club Pawling NY.

A reminder of this upcoming TBL event for Sunday August 4 – the pub has a limited capacity so be sure to ensure your attendance by pre- ordering a ticket as soon as possible – here is all the info…

JOIN US FOR A DAY OF LED ZEPPELIN AT KNEBWORTH 40TH ANIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS…

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR THE LED ZEPPELIN AT KNEBWORTH 40 YEARS GONE CELEBRATION DAY EVENT:

Led Zeppelin at Knebworth 40 Years Gone:

No Sleeping Bag Required…

40th Anniversary TBL Celebration Day Event:

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Following on from last September’s hugely enjoyable Led Zeppelin 50th Anniversary ‘It’s been a Long Time’ TBL gathering, later this year we are going back to the excellent Atlas pub in Fulham,London to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Led Zeppelin performing those two memorable shows at Knebworth – 40 years to the day of the first date, and this time around there’s no sleeping bag required….

Notes: Other tracks most likely performed but not listed in the review: Celebration Day, Bring It on Home Intro/ Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, The Ocean. Four Sticks was noted in the review, but almost certainly not performed.

Led Zeppelin wasted very little time on their U.S. tour to demonstrate their incredible drawing power and meteoric popularity, pulling in 49,236 fans (out of the 50,277 stadium capacity). The concert grossed $246,180 and broke the Atlanta Stadium concert attendance record set by The Beatles on August 18, 1965 (who drew a comparatively modest 33,000 fans).

A closed-circuit TV system projected the group on two 16×24 foot screens positioned on the sides of the stage. This was the very first time the band had ever employed such screens, specifically for faraway fans. Unfortunately, the other stadium gigs on the 1973 U.S. tour did not utilize the technology (Tampa, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh); however, large video screens were eventually used again for their 1975 Earl’s Court shows, 1977 Pontiac, Michigan, 1977 Seattle, and 1979 Knebworth shows.

This concert marked the debut appearance of John Bonham’s Ludwig Amber Vistalite drum set. Bonzo used this set all the way through the last gig at Earl’s Court in London on May 25, 1975.

Although not documented for this concert, Celebration Day was added to the set list on this tour, the first time it had been performed since Charlotte, North Carolina on June 9, 1972. Out on the Tiles had been replaced by Bring It on Home as the introduction to Black Dog on this tour. No Quarter was performed live for the very first time and Moby Dick made a return appearance to the set list for the U.S. tour (the first time it had been played in concert since the October 9, 1972 Osaka, Japan show).

The gig was reviewed in the River City Review, a Memphis, Tennessee underground newspaper. Bill Read’s review featured the following comments:

“The band waited until everyone had time to get into the Stadium and get settled before they started the show and 8:30, and even then people were still arriving. The audience rose to its feet in a gesture of welcome, even as John (Bonzo) Bonham started the group off into ‘Rock and Roll.’ After completing this number, Robert Plant returned the greeting that had been given, and then continued with ‘The Song Remains the Same’ and ‘The Rain Song’ from their new Atlantic release, Houses of the Holy. Plant then made a reference to the now defunct Atlanta Pop Festivals, and proceeded into ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ and ‘Four Sticks’ (ed. note: he was probably referring to Black Dog). For those who could not see very well, there were two large viewing screens on either side of the stage, which showed interesting close-ups of the band as they gave their spectacular performance.”

“As John Paul Jones began the rather un-Zeppelinish ‘No Quarter,’ a fogging devise went into play, creating the eerie effect you might expect for the song. This selection in particular was reproduced in an excellent manner by all members of the band. Then, Jimmy Page, Zep’s producer and lead guitarist, and Plant put a sensual and intense effort into ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You,’ and, much to the delight of the audience, ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ ”

“As the crescent moon shone above, and as God looked down on all of His children, they bestowed upon the spectators their new rendition of ‘Dazed and Confused.’ During the song Jimmy Page stepped forward with his Customized Led Paul, took out his violin bow and expertly fed his original brand of musical data into an echo unit. Page sent the head of every person conscious into a world of ecstasy and wonder; and it occurred to me that we might have been given a preview of music born twenty years from now.”

Hit Parader (December 1973) carried an exclusive on tour with Led Zeppelin cover story written by none other than their press agent – Danny Goldberg. The article read just like Goldberg’s press releases, describing all their record-breaking exploits. He even quoted the mayor of Atlanta, Sam Cassell, as saying “This is the biggest thing that has hit Atlanta since the premiere of ‘Gone with the Wind.’ ” In his 2008 memoir, “Bumping Into Geniuses: my life inside the rock and roll business,” Goldberg conceded that the quote had actually been contrived by Peter Grant the morning after the Atlanta show.

The band certainly did not have to wait a very long time to top their Atlanta attendance figure. The next night in Tampa they drew a record 56,443 fans ($297,632 gross receipts), passing The Beatles attendance record for a single artist set at Shea Stadium in New York on August 15, 1965 (attendance: 55,600).

Photos of Robert Plant and the record crowd appeared on the front page of the Atlanta Constitution with the headline “Stadium Rocks – Led Zeppelin Plays to 50,000.” The article was primarily focused on the crowd itself and mentioned that it was the first time the field had been opened to an audience. Curiously, it also mentioned that “paper and aluminum cans were trampled underfoot or were skittered across bare parts by the wind.” Coincidence?

Soon after the Tampa show, an Associated Press article written by journalist Mary Campbell was published in newspapers throughout the United States. Robert Plant discussed the Tampa concert with Campbell:

“I think it was the biggest thrill I’ve had. I pretend – I kid myself – I’m not very nervous in a situation like that. I try to bounce around just like normal. But, if you do a proportionate thing, it would be like half of England’s population. It was a real surprise. Tampa is the last place I would expect to see nigh on 60,000 people. It’s not the country’s biggest city. It was fantastic. One would think it would be very hard to communicate; with 60,000 people some have got to be quite a distance off. There were no movie screens showing us, like in Atlanta. The only thing they could pick up on was the complete vibe of what music was being done.”

Plant was asked why the band was more willing to talk to the press this time around and he responded:

“Last summer when the Stones were in America we were doing a tour concurrent with theirs. We had no coverage. We were beating their attendance, though…We’ve been aware of how we’ve been doing for a long time. And I really think some people ought to know what we’ve done. I’m proud of what we’ve done and what we are doing, and so many more people could dig it. That is the idea.”

“Then the long awaited were on stage. Zeppelin started slow and built slow, for each song, for the whole show. Robert Plant’s voice vibrated into the open cavern of people that covered – painted – wallpapered every viewable spot in the stadium.”

“At times attention wandered from the stage. Someone said she was bored. At the time the remark was made, I would tend to agree. No one else in the crowd seemed to be exactly jumping up and down either. But then, Led Zeppelin was building.”

“Led Zeppelin was starting to warm up. Jimmy Page took a violin bow to his guitar, drummer John Bonham took a long, very excellent drum solo and the sound started to come alive…The first notes of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ drew immediate applause. ‘There’s a lady…’ Plant’s voice brought recognition to the rest of the crowd and more cheers for the group. The best song so far; things were getting better.”

“The finale, ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ (sic). White doves, released from the stage, flew to the audience in a message of fluttering, wheeling peace. Thousands, upon thousands of matches spotted the stadium like little eyes looking for the group’s return. A granted request.”

The Watcher (May 21-27, 1973) underground newspaper (Winter Park, Florida) carried a review of the record-breaking show titled “The Apex of Rock and Roll Attendance – Led Zeppelin Fills Tampa Stadium.” Written by Michael Crites, the review included the following observations:

“Led Zeppelin performed a predominantly high-energy concert with only a taste of their progressive soul and glamorock experiments of recent days, and their acoustic tunes. The quality of sound was not good, very little of the patented Zeppelin echo was audible and there was a somewhat fuzzy edge. Of course, these are natural drawbacks to a stadium show.”

“One of the outstanding numbers from ‘Houses of the Holy’ titled ‘No Quarter’ is indicative of Zeppelin’s schizophrenic nature. The song included a mysteriously mellow piano, a solid drum beat and disguised heavy guitar. At the mellotron Jones activated the strings, which are dynamite in your living room and probably would be exciting in a concert hall. Zeppelin took off in developing an orchestrated piece formed by intricate composition.”

“The fifteen minute drum solo was a useless filler and a condescension to the masses. I think Bonham is a damned good drummer without continuous beating. Charlie Watts has never played more than thirty seconds by himself. ‘Moby Dick’ was the only boring portion of the show.

A three and a half minute news report was broadcast on local TV station, Channel 13. The feature showed the band getting off their planes and into limos, footage of the crowd, and short clips of the band performing on stage (with Misty Mountain Hop from the fourth LP being played instead of the actual live audio). Part of this feature was used as the intro to their 2007 reunion concert at the 02 Arena in London.

Sunday, May 6, 1973 St. Petersburg, Florida, USA (Not Performed)

Despite appearing on several tour lists throughout the years, this concert was never even scheduled, let alone performed. It’s also worth noting that St. Petersburg is less than a half hour drive from the previous gig in Tampa.

Monday, May 7, 1973 Jacksonville Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida, USA

After performing to over 100,000 fans on the first two gigs of the U.S. tour, Led Zeppelin returned to some sense of normalcy, appearing before a sold out Jacksonville Coliseum crowd of “just” 13,000. New York based rock journalist Lisa Robinson submitted a rave review of the gig for Disc and Music Echo (May 19, 1973). Robinson was one of the very few journalists whom the band trusted, and as a result she was able to cover the 1973, 1975, and 1977 U.S. tours with true ‘insider access’ for various rock publications.

Here are some of Lisa Robinson’s observations of the Jacksonville concert:

“If I, myself, was getting to a point where Rock ‘n’ Roll becoming part of my past, as opposed to part of my blood, this concert turned it all around for me. I had heard that on a good night Led Zeppelin is magic, is Rock ‘n’ Roll. Where have they been all my life?”

“Robert Plant strutted across the stage. He swaggered, he is THE popstar, at all times totally compelling…more so to me than even Jagger, because it just doesn’t seem contrived for one moment. Plant’s voice was like a gorgeous instrument, he was physically and sensually taking the audience for his own. They wanted him to do it to them and he did.”

“Jimmy Page would do things on the guitar so spectacular and then just stop…and then start again and leave you breathless, always wanting more. When he played the guitar with the violin bow he moved as if in some marvelous graceful ballet. And all along, Bonham and Jones were relentless, driving, pushing – keeping it all solid.”

“This has GOT to be what Rock ‘n’ Roll was all about: what it s meant to be. Without gimmicks, without any obvious visual theatrics, the interplay – the dance both musically and physically between Plant and Page was magnificent and, of course, became more theatrically-compelling than almost any other band who attempt to do something similar.”

“It was impossible to be a part of that experience and not watch, and listen, with total awe.”

Written and compiled by Mike Tremaglio – first published in TBL issue 36.

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More from The People’s Front Of LZ :

Here’s the latest clip from George and co – they really do an amazing job – be sure to check it out…

Hi Dave,

Just wanted to share this one with you…our latest video is Pat’s Delight.

I wanted to do this as it’s not often covered, and Bonzo’s approach was a bit different back in the early solos compared to ’70 and after. Also, it’s International Drum Month so I guess it’s appropriate. Hope you dig it!

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Miles Davis – Kind of Blue – nearly 60…

In the light of last week’s International jazz day here’s a great piece about the Miles Davis Kind of Blue album – a pressing of which is never too far from the player here -as can be seen……this iconic album was recorded in March and April of 1959 and released the following August – it’s 60th anniversary beckons…it still sounds as fresh and vital as ever – read more below…

Also on the player – another Record Store day beauty – the late great Ronnie Lane and the band Slim Chance at the BBC limited edition 2LP coloured vinyl – includes uplifting versions of Ooh La La ,Flags and Banners and The Rolling Stones Sweet Virginia. Superb!

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DL Diary Blog Update:

Friday treats at the Vinyl Barn: At the always excellent Vinyl Barn last Friday I was well pleased to find a copy of the Jose Feliciano album Compartments – not least for its interchanging window sleeve. Issued in 1972, some three years later Led Zeppelin had the same idea for their Physical Graffiti album sleeve. The Jose album, a US pressing on RCA Quadradisc has a variety of quality guest artist contributors including Leon Russell, Steve Cropper and Bill Withers – top stuff –thanks Darren!
I also picked up a very nice original Beatles Get Back single in the orginal Apple sleeve – the record that brought me back to music all of 50 years ago as posted a couple of weeks back.

Football – more twists and turns. Spurs nine men side were always going to struggle in the second half against Bournemouth last Saturday and that last minute goal was a big disappointment. It’s now down to the final match v Everton and here’s hoping for a final win.

Tuesday’s Champions League second leg semi final between Liverpool and Barcelona was off the scale. To turn around a 3-0 deficit to win the tie 4-0 was just incredible – I watched it all unfold in the local Fox and Hounds with some disbelief.

And then….

It was always going to be difficult for Spurs in their second leg tie against Ajax already 1-0 down. The Lewis clan of myself, the good lady Janet and Adam plus our other Spurs loving friends gathered at the Fox and Hounds last night in hope…alas within five minutes Ajax were 1-0 up and by half time 2-0. Spurs needed a miracle and unbelievably they achieved it. We watched in awe and wonder as Lucas Moura made it 2-1 then 2-2…one goal needed -and incredibly it arrived with minutes to go – Lucas slotting home to put Spurs through against all the odds and complete a hat trick …oh the beautiful game!

For once it all came right -here’s the good lady and myself celebrating after the most fantastic performance I have seen by a Spurs side in decades. I’ve been a fan since 1966 – this was a special night – Liverpool now await in the final – what a prospect that is…glory glory Tottenham Hotspur!

Meanwhile back at TBL central: Here’s a pic taken at StudioMix working on the in progress TBL issue 45 with TBL designer Mick Lowe. We have began the design spread for the excellent Consumers Guide to the Copenhagen and Knebworth bootleg releases feature –Paul Sheppard has the CD bootlegs covered and Andy Adams the vinyl. Having their contributions is always a privilege….more on all this soon…

Dave Lewis – May 9, 2019.

Until next time –have a great weekend

TBL Website updates compiled by Dave Lewis

with thanks to Gary Foy and James Cook

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The TBL/DL Facebook page has regular updates and photos – be sure to check it out.

Trying not to rush to judgment until the documentary is out, but….While I’m hopeful that it will be good, what’s this 1970 cutoff rubbish? They’re just getting going! I want to see and hear about the ‘imperial days’!

# 12 May 2019 at 1:52 pm

Augusto said:

Bath Festival Footage, maybe… 🙂

# 11 May 2019 at 2:05 pm

Graham Rodger said:

It always amazes me how so little recorded visual material exists for what was the biggest band on the planet. Look forward to seeing the documentary and accompanying CD + DVD releases.

# 11 May 2019 at 9:36 am

Robert M said:

What is the point of a documentary that only spans the first couple of years of the band’s history? I simply don’t see the point of the whole thing if this is the case.

# 10 May 2019 at 4:08 pm

Ed- Washington DC said:

From the Guardian piece:

“The film will chart their career until 1970. That means some of the most famous parts of their story – their biggest hit, Stairway to Heaven; the debauched rock’n’roll excess of their imperial phase; the death of Bonham in 1980, their immediate dissolution and one-off return in 2007 – will not be covered”

Their “Imperial phase”. Perhaps my favorite phase of their career, likely because that’s where I came in, and it remains their iconic period to my mind. Yet as the years go by, and the study of their career arc comes in to fuller historical context, its likely that the early formative days hold the most romance for the band. Certainly on a personal level, the “imperial phase” was fraught with unhappy events that perhaps they’d rather not revisit, let alone celebrate.